F1 star disqualified from Azerbaijan GP qualifying as results

F1 star disqualified from Azerbaijan GP qualifying as results changed

Pierre Gasly, driving for Alpine, has been disqualified from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying session due to a violation of fuel flow regulations, leading to a reshuffling of the results.

Initially, Gasly had secured 13th place, positioned between Yuki Tsunoda of VCARB and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas. However, during routine post-session inspections, his car was flagged for exceeding the maximum fuel flow limit, which resulted in his disqualification.

The issue with Gasly’s car revolved around its fuel flow rate surpassing the permitted limit of 100kg per hour. This breach was detected during the standard checks that follow each qualifying session, prompting the FIA to investigate and subsequently take action against the Frenchman. As a result, Gasly will start from the back of the grid for Sunday’s race, causing a reshuffling of the starting order.

The FIA released a formal statement addressing the disqualification, stating that Gasly’s car had violated the technical regulations related to fuel flow, and, as per the rules, the penalty for such an infraction is disqualification.

The governing body further cited Article 1.3.3 of the International Sporting Code, which asserts that any car found to be non-compliant with technical regulations must be disqualified, regardless of whether a performance advantage was gained.

The FIA stressed that this rule is consistently upheld by the International Court of Appeal and that it leaves no room for exceptions. Accordingly, Gasly’s qualifying result was annulled, and he will start the race from the rear of the field.

This disqualification marks another blow in what has been a difficult weekend for Alpine. Earlier, Gasly’s teammate, Esteban Ocon, faced his own challenges during the event.

In the third free practice session (FP3), Ocon suffered from a power unit issue that brought the session to a halt, as the red flag was deployed. Later in qualifying, Ocon crashed during his final run in Q1, further compounding Alpine’s troubles ahead of the race

Gasly’s disqualification could also have a broader impact on the grid. Lando Norris, who had a tough qualifying session himself, is set to benefit from the revised standings. Norris had been caught by a yellow flag during his final lap in Q1, which led to him finishing in 17th place, far below where he might have expected to qualify.

With Gasly being demoted to the back of the grid, Norris gains one position, moving him up to 16th for the start of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The reshuffling of the grid due to Gasly’s disqualification is significant, as it will give drivers who originally qualified lower down the order an opportunity to improve their starting positions.

For Norris, who has struggled in recent races to find pace and consistency, this provides a small but potentially crucial advantage heading into Sunday’s race.

While Gasly’s penalty was a key talking point following the conclusion of qualifying, it was not the only challenge Alpine faced over the weekend. Ocon’s crash in Q1 followed his earlier power unit issue, creating a series of setbacks for the team. Alpine will now have to regroup and address these mechanical problems if they are to salvage a respectable result in the race.

The back-to-back issues for both drivers underscore a difficult period for Alpine, who have been trying to find a balance between pace and reliability this season.

Gasly’s disqualification has inevitably raised questions about the team’s performance and technical reliability. Alpine, like all teams, is required to adhere strictly to the technical regulations set forth by the FIA, and any breach can lead to severe penalties. In this case, the fuel flow violation was a straightforward infraction of the regulations, leaving the stewards with little choice but to apply the disqualification.

In the broader context of Formula 1, fuel flow limits are put in place to ensure that teams do not gain an unfair advantage by using more fuel than allowed, which could increase performance. By exceeding the limit, Gasly’s car was technically breaking the rules designed to keep competition fair and balanced.

Even if the performance gain from the infraction was negligible or unintended, the FIA’s strict interpretation of the rules is intended to preserve the integrity of the sport.

As for the rest of the field, the Azerbaijan GP promises to be an exciting and unpredictable race, especially given the nature of the street circuit in Baku, which has seen dramatic races in the past. With Gasly now relegated to the back, other drivers, including Norris, will be looking to take advantage of the revised starting grid and capitalize on the opportunities that arise during the race.

However, for Gasly and Alpine, the focus will be on recovery and damage limitation as they face a challenging Sunday in Baku.